Ambris, Nurse lose Windies contracts

Despite the promise he has shown, Windies batsman Sunil Ambris has not been given a new central contract even as Cricket West Indies (CWI) have increased the number offered in the new contract period.

Ambris is on the list of those sidelined along with lg spinner Devendra Bishoo, Miguel Cummins, Ashley Nurse, Kieran Powell, and Raymon Reifer.

While Bishoo, Cummins, and Powell have played very little part in the West Indies’ fortunes or lack thereof in recent times, Ambris and Nurse have.

Ambris returned to the West Indies side for a tour of Ireland and was a replacement for John Campbell with resounding success.

Ambris’ first start for the West Indies came against Ireland at Malahide, where he scored a fantastic 148 before scoring 69 not out against Bangladesh.

The innings propelled him into the reckoning for the West Indies team to the World Cup and he eventually played in three games, scoring 37, 31 and five.

Nurse found himself surplus to requirements at the World Cup in England, the pitches not helping him much. The off-spinner’s best bowling figures were 1-60 against New Zealand.

The CWI has been quick to point out that with 22 spaces allowed for centrally contracted players, Ambris, along with two others could still earn central contracts for the period July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020.

Bishoo has been playing less and less for the Windies and last played against England in the Caribbean with very little success.

Powell has been even more absent than Bishoo, playing his last match for the West Indies in December of 2018, scoring just 10 in a One Day International against Bangladesh.

Cummins and Reifer have been frozen out of Windies Line-ups thanks to a slew of all-rounders who have been bette, neither factoring in recent times.

Ambris’ exclusion comes in the face of the inclusion of a number of other newcomers like Fabian Allen, Nicholas Pooran, John Campbell and Oshane Thomas.

There has also been central contracts in the offering for Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul.